The Public Speaker this morning gave a good illustration concerning imperfections in our congregation.
Imagine a ship berthed alongside the wharf. As the tide ebbs and flows, the ship rises and falls; and in bad weather it tosses around, bumping the wharf - stripping off paint, and in severe weather may even cause a dent in the ship. But the wharf is stronger than the ship, taking the knocks and providing the lines tethering the ship to it are strong, the ship is safe and won't suffer lasting damage.
Jehovah is the wharf, we are the ship, the lines tethering the ship are spiritual provisions from God's organization, and the demonic controlled world is represented by the sea. Our imperfections are represented by the chafing occurring between the ship and the wharf.
What happens when there are more ships that can berth alongside the wharf? Sometimes they tie up alongside one another. Then chafing occurs between individual ships, indicating how imperfections can cause problems between individuals in the congregation unless the buffers between the ships are made of the right materials.
As the wharf provides security for ships alongside it, we need to make sure the fenders (our Christian qualities) between us and the wharf (Jehovah) are appropriate to keep us tied to his organization, and within his protection.
Your brother
John Coates
Stratford Congregation
Stratford, New Zealand
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